Method and apparatus for light emitting diode control

Abstract

An apparatus has a light emitting diode module that has one or more light emitting diodes each with a light emitting circuitry. The apparatus further has a controller functionally connected with the one or more light emitting circuitries; a housing surrounding the controller and the one or more light emitting circuitries; and a pair of power supply connectors extending outside of the housing and functionally connected with the controller. The controller receives operating power from the pair of power supply connectors and uses the received operating power to control operation of the one or more light emitting circuitries.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus, comprising:
 a light emitting diode module comprising a plurality of light emitting circuitries, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting circuitries is devoid of a transparent housing that individually covers each of the plurality of light emitting circuitries; 
 a controller functionally connected with the plurality of light emitting circuitries; 
 a common transparent housing collectively covering the controller and the plurality of light emitting circuitries, wherein the plurality of light emitting circuitries are collectively covered by only the common transparent housing and no other common transparent housing; and 
 a pair of power supply connectors extending outside of the housing and functionally connected with the controller; 
 wherein the controller is configured to receive operating power from the pair of power supply connectors; use the received operating power to power the plurality of light emitting circuitries under control of the controller; determine commands carried by the operating power; and perform, based on the determined commands, controlling of the operation of the plurality of light emitting circuitries. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the apparatus further comprises a temperature sensor inside the housing and configured to provide the controller with signals; and 
 the controller is further configured to perform based on the signals the controlling of the operation of the plurality of light emitting circuitries. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the apparatus comprises two light emitting circuitries; and 
 the controller is further configured to allocate different currents to the light emitting circuitries. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the controller is configured to perform the allocating of the different currents to the light emitting circuitries by at least partially bypassing at least one of the light emitting circuitries. 
 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the controller is configured to signal information through the operating power via the pair of power supply connectors by causing changes in resistance of the light emitting diode module. 
 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the apparatus comprises an asymmetric electrostatic discharge protection circuitry configured to protect the apparatus against electrostatic discharges of a given polarity. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the controller is further configured to control the plurality of light emitting circuitries to provide a video assist light for assisting shooting of video footage. 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the controller is further configured to control the plurality of light emitting circuitries to provide a light for assisting shooting of a still image. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the controller further comprises a memory comprising calibration information for adaptation of the use of the plurality of light emitting circuitries. 
 
     
     
       10. An apparatus, comprising:
 a camera unit;
 a light emitting diode module comprising a plurality of light emitting circuitries configured to assist the use of the camera unit, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting circuitries is devoid of a transparent housing that individually covers each of the plurality of light emitting circuitries; 
 a controller functionally connected with the plurality of light emitting circuitries; 
 a common transparent housing collectively covering the controller and the plurality of light emitting circuitries, wherein the plurality of light emitting circuitries are collectively covered by only the common transparent housing and no other common transparent housing; and 
 a pair of power supply connectors extending outside of the housing and functionally connected with the controller; 
 wherein the controller is configured: to receive operating power from the pair of power supply connectors; use the received operating power to power the plurality of light emitting circuitries under control of the controller; determine commands carried by the operating power; and perform, based on the determined commands, controlling of the operation of the plurality of light emitting circuitries. 
 
 
     
     
       11. A method comprising:
 emitting light by a light emitting diode module comprising a plurality of light emitting circuitries, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting circuitries is devoid of a transparent housing that individually covers each of the plurality of light emitting circuitries; and 
 wherein:
 a controller is functionally connected with the plurality of light emitting circuitries; 
 a common transparent housing collectively covering the controller and the plurality of light emitting circuitries, wherein the plurality of light emitting circuitries are collectively covered by only the common transparent housing and no other common transparent housing; and 
 a pair of power supply connectors is extending outside of the housing and being functionally connected with the controller; 
 
 the method further comprising the controller:
 receiving operating power from the pair of power supply connectors; using the received operating power to power the plurality of light emitting circuitries under control of the controller; determining commands carried by the operating power; and performing, based on the determined commands, controlling of the operation of the plurality of light emitting circuitries. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein a temperature sensor inside the housing provides the controller with signals and the controller further performs the controlling of the operation of the plurality of light emitting circuitries based on the signals. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the controller comprises two light emitting circuitries and the controller further allocates different currents to the light emitting circuitries. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the controller further signals information through the operating power via the pair of power supply connectors by causing changes in resistance of the light emitting diode module. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising protecting the apparatus with a protection circuitry against electrostatic discharges of a given polarity. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the controller further controls the plurality of light emitting circuitries to provide a light for assisting shooting of a still image. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the controller further comprises a memory comprising calibration information for adaptation of the use of the plurality of light emitting circuitries and the controller adapts the operation of the plurality of light emitting circuitries using the calibration information. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus comprising:
 a light emitting diode module comprising a plurality of light emitting circuitry means for emitting light, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting circuitry means is devoid of a transparent housing that individually covers each of the plurality of light emitting circuitry means; 
 controller means functionally connected with the plurality of light emitting circuitry means; 
 common transparent housing means for collectively covering the controller means and the plurality of light emitting circuitry means, wherein the plurality of light emitting circuitry means are collectively covered by only the common transparent housing means and no other common transparent housing; and 
 a pair of power supply connector means extending outside of the housing and functionally connected with the controller means; 
 wherein the controller means is configured to: receive operating power from the pair of power supply connector means; use the received operating power to power the plurality of light emitting circuitry means under control of the controller means; determine commands carried by the operating power; and perform, based on the determined commands, controlling of the operation of the plurality of light emitting circuitry means.